| INDUSTRY |
BELOW: The European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF) meeting, this year held in Stockholm
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travelling between Great Britain, Ireland, and France, be maintained. The number of thoroughbreds that travel to, from, or through Britain each year is very high. The spectre of border queues is a real one which we must press to avert. The EMHF also agreed a stance on anabolic steroids and similar substances which goes above and beyond that of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. The relevant article in the IFHA’s International Agreement (Article 6E), while confirming that such major doping agents are not to be administered to racehorses at any time in their career, also makes provision for what is called a ‘Therapeutic Use Exemption.’ It sets out this circumstance: “When the Racing Authority has decided to offer the facility for such exceptional use for therapeutic purposes and where no other reasonable therapeutic alternative exists,” such substances may be administered. However, EMHF, mindful of the advice of the specialist committee for our region – the European Horserace Scientific Liaison Committee, does not support the inclusion – within its member countries’ rules of racing, of any such exemption. We also agreed to place an increasing focus, in each of our countries, on out-of-competition testing, which is so necessary now because of the emergence of substances whose effects can outlast their detectability, thereby rendering raceday testing potentially ineffective. It is hoped and expected that all EMHF member countries will follow this line. In this way, trainers in any of our countries can be confident that the field on which they are playing, when welcoming runners from abroad, is a level one. If one looks at the upper echelons of racing administration around the world, one cannot help but notice the absence of female faces. Chairmen of racing authorities are invariably just that – men, and even when the achievements of women are celebrated, it is noticeable that the recipients are usually chosen by men and their
TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 58
“TRAINERS IN ANY OF OUR COUNTRIES CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT THE FIELD ON WHICH THEY ARE PLAYING… IS A LEVEL ONE. awards presented by men. EMHF has been as guilty of this bias as any and it was therefore most pleasing that our general assembly appointed women to not just one but both of the vacant positions on our executive council. Mrs Helena Gartner, Chief Administrative Officer at the Swedish Horseracing Authority, and Dr Martina Krejci, SecretaryGeneral of the Jockey Club of the Czech Republic, become the first two female members at our top table. Let us hope this proves to be a small but significant step towards appropriate minority representation in the sport. Improved female representation is a subject dear to the heart of Bjorn Eklund, ex-CEO of the Swedish racing authority, who now maintains links with the organisation as our honorary life president. It is to him that I turn for the last word: “I’m proud that EMHF was set up in Stockholm seven years ago, with strong support from IFHA chairman Louis Romanet. We need each other in the horseracing world, big nations and small nations alike, as the racing world is more vulnerable than we sometimes think. “In EMHF we treat each other with mutual respect.”